Stormy Weather
by taytea
Summary: Bad at summaries but basically story about Edward and Bella meeting in their late 20's. Different story setting than usual Twilight fare. All Human. Mature content but not graphic at all, Just wanted to be sure.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

The wind whistled outside my window and rattled the old shutters attached. I shivered lightly and pulled my sweater tighter to my body and noted that the lights hadn't gone out while the stormed raged outside. I sat at my worn kitchen table and pulled out my Kindle that I had received from my divorced parents at Christmas a few months back. Amazed that they had been amiable enough to have agreed on the joint gift, my parents, my dad, I was sure, had even downloaded a few classics for me. Jane Austen, Anne of Green Gables and Little House of the Prairie. I smiled to myself as I thought of my some-what technology impaired parents doing research, peppering lots and lots of questions to a patience wearing thin salesperson to get the perfect gift for me. I pulled my knees up on the chair and wrapped my hand around my cup of tea, sank in and got lost in Anne of Green Gables. I absently fingered my brown hair imagining it a luscious red with hints of rich mahogany brown and strands of gold on the arm of handsome dark haired Gilbert.

The lights flickered sometime later and brought me back to my reality. I looked around and saw that I was in my well loved and used yellow kitchen wearing faded red flannel pajamas, Christmas pajamas from several year past and my favorite afghan sweater not the pale blue corseted dress with delicate puffed sleeves I had been dreaming of. The time on my microwave read 9:15pm and I realized that I had read for over 2 hours and had missed dinner. My stomach grumbled as I slid the Kindle into the accompanying sleeve and stretched my legs out under the table, my arms reached high over my head as if I was trying to touch the ceiling and then the sky through the ceiling. I yawned, sat up and walked quickly over the bare wood floor to the refrigerator and pulled it open to survey the contents, my feet padding on the floor, the only sound. The bright light took my eyes a few minutes to adjust as I pulled out a bottle of water and the ingredients to make a quick chicken salad sandwich. Along with the rest of the town, I had stocked my fridge before the Nor- Easter hit. I had left my office early yesterday in preparation for the "storm of the century" as the local weatherman had dubbed it. Even early, the grocery store shelves of the local A&P were beginning to thin. I managed to get enough staples should the storm last several days. Canned goods, brown breads, toiletries and of course plenty of water intermixed with my already well-stocked cupboards. I smiled to myself remembering a scene at check out, an irate customer berating another customer for having 14 items in the quick checkout that cut off at 12. I suppose the storm was wearing on some nerves before a single drop of rain or possible snow had fallen. I shook my head and chuckled low and thought of dinner prep for tomorrow's meal. I had planned to make a larger meal tonight to carry me through the next few days but the charm of Prince Edward Island had quickly captured me and I all but forgot my dinner plans. "Oh well," I sighed. Chicken Salad sandwich will have to do for tonight. "Tomorrow, I will make Angela's famous Lemon Chicken Noodle soup." I murmured to no one. It was delicious, easy to prepare and tasted yummy even the second day. My mouth watered thinking about it. Chicken salad will have to do for tonight, tomorrow something tasty. I sat and ate thinking about nothing but everything. I absent mindedly chewed my food but tasted nothing. Little light shown in through my windows and I gazed out trying to see out into the darkness, the moon covered by clouds. It was quiet inside but I listened to the sound of the gushing rain and howling wind. I loved a good thunderstorm. As a child, my dad and I would stand bravely in the doorway and watch the wind whipping around the trees, violently swaying. He would hug me closer, whispering "amazing". I remembered once watching as lightening hit an old tree adjacent to our neighbors and ripped the side off to cover the road and take down a power line. Scared as I was, Mother Nature had me in awe. It was breathtaking. Too this day, I often stood in the doorway watching. I cleaned the table and the remnants of my scant meal and made my way up the stairs to my bedroom. I pulled the shades up and fell asleep watching the rain.

Over the course of the next day, I patiently waited for the sun to shine and made my way through my pre-loaded Kindle library, the sound of the storm raging. "Thanks mom and dad." I thought as I finally put it down stretching my shoulders and rolling my neck to ease the stiffness. The day had past without much commotion. It had consisted of phone conversations to my parent, mostly to let them know that I was fine, my house hadn't blown over and I had enough supplies. Long talks with my friends Angela and Alice and getting lost in the occasional made for TV sob story. My power had flickered often but happily never faltered. I was ready nevertheless, candles, flashlights and my trusty cell phone. I had managed in between day dreams of Anne and Gilbert, daily chit chats to tidy my lived-in but clean house and to squeeze in a little bit of creative writing. It was for fun only. I didn't consider myself a creative enough person to churn out an entire book let alone several. I enjoyed writing short stories and excerpts, not fully developed plots and characters but good enough to re-read from time to time. I often got lost in books, replacing my life with the heroine of the moment. I dreamt of dark haired dashing men, more beautiful than I. Men that swept me off my feet, holding me close and swearing to be always faithful.

I sat for a moment and considered my love life, "non-existent." I muttered to myself. I was not a bad looking woman, wide expressive brown eyes. So brown, they had been commented on in the past as the color of chocolate. Youthful figure yet curves enough in the right places to show my womanliness. I dated few men, they made me nervous and I was too nervous, perhaps picky, to take any of them beyond casual dating to a higher level of commitment that someone at 28 years should. My parents' weekly conversations over the past few years had slowly started to include bits about men and future husbands. Mostly my mother, Renee asked. My dad, Charlie, tried but I could usually end that topic of conversation with a disgruntled sigh. My father was luckily unwilling to embarrass himself by taking the topic further. My mother was not so easily suppressed. She made sure to mention "I was getting older, lucky for me I didn't look old and had gotten her looks from her side of the family". According to my well meaning mother, this gave me great bone structure, a youthful look and a bit of mystery and intrigue.

Men were not something that I was worried about in this stage of my life. I lived fairly simply and with hard work, college education and perseverance, I had everything that I wanted. I had purchased my first home at the age of 25 after moving from Washington State to Massachusetts. It was a small Cape Cod fixer upper, 1700 square feet 2 baths, 3 bedrooms. I loved it and was proud of it. I had lovingly repainted each room in the house. Pale yellows, creams, green and blues, colors of the sea on a sunny day. It was furnished simply with hand me downs, some antiques that my dad had found and unique yard sale finds. My mother loved a good yard sale and once given the notion of what was needed, would search until the perfect piece was found. I had purchased a few additional classic pieces for the bedroom, living room and kitchen.

In the background, a television tuned to the weather channel hummed quietly in the background. Lost in my thoughts, I stood from the couch, picked up the remote and switched to a local news channel. A concerned newscaster came on solemnly stating that the current storm system was coming to an end. He drummed on and on about road closures, businesses that weren't open and homes that had seen some destruction along the shores. He rallied on with the beautifully manicured anchorwoman about staying warm, dry and not driving anywhere if absolutely possible, possibly till Monday. Shots of waves crashing against rocks, boats rocking precariously while tied to moorings and an absence of fowl flashed cross the TV set. The perfectly matched co-anchors bantered on about small pockets of calm thrown in every few hours of storm. The anchorman also warned that there was a second major storm system on the way, hopefully less destructive but there nevertheless and expected at the end of the coming week.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

I took a walk the first chance I could that very next morning. It was a small break from the gusting wind and treacherous downpour. The equally handsome older and more distinguished morning Weatherman had said that a small break from the storm was here but only a few hours at the most before another smaller front, less dangerous than before, came through. As I was getting stir crazy having been cooped up in the house for 2 days, I decided to take a look at how Mother Nature had ravaged the shoreline. I threw on faded jeans, layered a tank, sweatshirt and ski jacket throwing my cell phone in the pocket noting that it was 9am. My feet covered by rain boots, I passed through the front door and headed toward my beach beyond the trees. Young trees were bent but fighting to stand up straight and tall. A few had succumbed to the undeniable pressure and lay defeated across the sand. More mature trees stood stoic and unwavering, appearing to ask for more but telltale branches lay on the ground, scattered about. Stone, shells, seaweed, small sea creatures that had long stopped trying to flop and crawl their way back to the sea were thrown all about and the smell of calm started to fill the air with just an edge and hint of electricity and warning. The wind blew gently now, pushing and pulling on the battered dune grass. The dunes themselves looked beaten and tired. Looking to my right, I saw an orange ladder tucked into the tall grasses of the dune. Some poor guy is not going to be happy when assessing the damage of his property, he can't find his ladder. The thought of a balding man, running around his house looking for the ladder and asking his wife where she may have put it put a smile on my face and a laugh escaped my lips. I picked my way gently down the beach and inhaled the salty, marshy air, the mist settling in my hair. I stopped to stare out at the sea and the gray sky seemed to melt right into the equally gray and overcast ocean. A few birds had ventured out too, looking for items to salvage along the beach, including perhaps, a snack or two. They were going to have to make it a quick flight, I thought, watching the clouds roll in steadily preparing for the next round.

I looked out and to the right and saw a little sailboat leaning up against the dune. The tide had come in really far I thought. I made my way over to the boat and noticed a few tell tale signs. The bottom of the boat had been ripped open and the sail's has been ripped to shreds. This was not a boat meant for long travel. I wondered who did this belong to? Unlike the owner of the ladder, the owner of this beautiful little boat was going to be devastated when his boat was found missing. The boat was a dark wood and stained to let the natural dark beauty shine through, it had been christened "Escape" with Cape Cod written in Indigo Blue. The sails were not salvageable, at least to my untrained eye. The extent of my sewing had been to hem pants that were too long, not that it happened often. Being 5'7", most pants fit off the rack. On the occasion that a pair of pants were too long, I had learned to do most of the essentials myself. I stepped closer to the boat admiring the craftsmanship. I knew nothing about boats, not how to run one, only how to enjoy one. I liked looking at them. As a child, my dad had had a little boat similar to this, much smaller I recalled, but my memory of it was fuzzy. I remembered going out on it a few times as a child but I it had mysteriously disappeared. I realized years later that it had been sold, a step into adulthood for my father, probably at the insistence of my mother several years after my conception. I looked at the way the wood curved, the shiny metal pulls and rods dulled by the salt water and the tangle of rope swaying in the breeze. I moved carefully closer to the mysterious boat excited to explore, my hands on the side, leg lifted ready to climb aboard when I heard a soft moan.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

I swung my leg back the way it had come and picked made my way around to the other side of the capsized boat, keeping my hand on the side of the boat for balance in the shifting sand. A man lay in the sand facing the sky. He was soaked through to the skin and shivering lightly. I ran closer letting go of the boat, slipping and sliding in the sand in the process of rescue. I crouched down next to the man, a broken shell digging into my knee though my jeans. "Are you alright? What happened? Can I get you something? Hello, hello, can you hear me?" I was afraid for this man, this man that was laying here out in the elements. What had happened to him? Tentative, I reached for his shoulder to give him a light shake; he turned his head to look at me. No recognition in his dark eyes. He slowly pulled his head away and muttered something that I couldn't understand. "Are you ok sir? Please, can I help you? Let me help you." He continued to lay in the sand, faintly twitching, probably shivering, staring up at the darkening sky. His hands in tight fists across his chest, his legs splayed straight out like two arrows. His blinking eyes never left the sky, his breath came in short but even intakes, like panting, dark hair curled and lay across his forehead and around the sand like a halo. Gently, I touched his shoulder again and again asked if I could offer him help, my free hand in my pocket and on my cell phone ready to get him the help that he appeared to need. He turned his entire body to me, wrapped my lower half into his arms, his knees coming up to meet my back and shook violently into my abdomen and lap. I kneeled shocked, too afraid to move. "What was this?" I thought. This complete stranger was shaking like a leaf in my lap and I didn't know what to do. Motherly instincts took over almost immediately and I gingerly placed a hand on his broad back rubbing in faint circles, something a mother would have done to soothe an upset child. We sat like this for what seemed an eternity, him shaking, me wishing he would stop. I patiently waited for this breathing to lengthen and even. His hands grasping me as if I was the life line to pull him back from whatever dark hole had been trying to suck him in. I stared out at the ocean, warily watching the waves while absently rubbing his back. I was faintly aware of the muscles that I felt there and the wistful longing that quickly came over me to stop in the pit of my stomach, it came on so quickly that I blushed and then felt a pair of eyes looking up at me. I looked down to realize that the mystery stranger had stopped shaking and had released his heavy grip on my lower body but was still touching me, this time gently. He looked up at me. "I'm sorry." The Mystery Man quietly said. His voice was deep and low. I liked the sound of his voice. It was obvious that this was rough from having been out in the elements but it felt gentle, soothing almost. I had almost forgotten the predicament that he had gotten himself into if his body wasn't still rocking with occasional spasms of shivers. "I had taken my boat out yesterday during a lull in the storm, got caught in the winds when they picked back up and crashed here". I continued to look down at him and wondered what kind of a story is that? Who doesn't live on Cape Cod and doesn't know how to prepare for a storm? By preparation, I meant staying in. The weather in New England could be quite volatile. I hoped that the doubt in my mind was not read on my face.

I cleared my throat, "Are you ok? Can you sit up? If you can move, I can get you to the hospital and have someone look you over. If not, I'll call 911 and get the paramedics here." Looking at him shivering, I figured an ambulance would probably be better than trying to get him to my house to warm up. I blushed at the thought of his lean frame sitting in my tiny kitchen.

"No, please, I am just cold. I am not hurt, just shook up. I'm not usually this stupid. I think that I need to warm up a bit. I don't want an ambulance." He pleaded, still shaking and seeming to read my mind. Unconsciously, he settled in closer on my lap, almost too familiar, I thought, his hands wrapped loosely around my waist, his knees drawn up closer to his chest. My body heat appeared to warm him up a little, as he relaxed more into my lap and a little color spotted on his cheeks. Was he blushing I wondered?

I shifted slightly, unsure of what to say. Do I bring him home? Do I call the ambulance anyway? I know nothing about him and rather than being anxious like I should be I seemed to understand his anxiety. I too, wouldn't want to take a ride in the ambulance. He was probably embarrassed to be found in a foolishly precarious situation, I thought. If he was from the Cape, he should be fairly knowledgeable sailor. What caused him to go out alone and unprepared in the face of a storm? He was obviously not from around these parts. Not that I was either but I had learned. How stupid could someone be? What if I hadn't decided to come out and explore my beach? I removed my hand gently from his back and stuck it deep into my pocket. I pulled my phone from my pocket and apologetically said, "I think that we should have someone other than me look you over. I'm not a doctor and you don't look good, though it's not too cold right now, I don't want you to catch hypothermia". He suddenly stiffened and sat up suddenly, a flash of something that resembled pain flashing across his face. He is hurt I thought to myself but his movement was so quick that I fell back off my knees and onto my butt. My hands circled around to catch my wobble, the phone dropping into the sand. I gasped in shock over his speed. He pulled himself up, his bent knees touching mine. "Please, I don't need an ambulance. I don't want a bunch of doctors looking me over a microscope, the news picking up on my stupidity to blast on the six o'clock news". His handsome face looked dark but pleadingly into my eyes. I stared, openly shocked at the color that had washed over his entire face this time, not just his cheeks. He grabbed my shoulders gently and helped me right myself. "Ok." I drawled out. "I'm not sure that coming to my house is in my best interest". A complete stranger, takes out his boat, gets caught in the biggest storm in years and wants to come to my house? Crazy, I thought to myself.

He removed his hands from my shoulders and took my lightly shaking hands into his, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that I startled you. I'm not injured, other than my ego." He grimaced and softly began massaging the skin on my palms with his thumbs. "I just need to a moment to get warmed up and I promise that I will be on my way. I don't live around here but I do need to get my boat back in sailing condition. I don't want to leave it here. I promise that I will not hurt you and that I will leave soon."

I breathed deep the sea air that a bit ago had smelled salty, earthy and of dead minerals, now it had a hint of male. I knew I shouldn't say yes but I couldn't pull away from his pleading eyes and gentle voice. "Well, I don't know but ok. You can stay. I need to at least tell someone that you are here."

He sat back, still holding my hands in his arms, nodding his head in agreement. I pulled my hands from his, slightly incredulous that I had agreed to this and slightly embarrassed that I didn't want my hands to leave his. I picked up my phone that was sitting in the sand beside me, shook off the excess and dialed my best friend. My phone beeping as he looked at me still nodding absently in agreement.

"Hey there sweetie, you surviving the storm alright?" Alice answered excitedly " I keep watching the weather and the storm coverage on the news and thinking of you all alone in that house of yours! I'm half expecting to see it go flying across the ocean"

"Hey, yourself" I answered shortly. 'I'm fine, been holding up well."

'What's the weather like now?"

"It's settling down, the wind and rain has finally died off. We are expecting another major storm at the end of the week, something to do with Hurricane Erica coming from the Bahamas but I called because I just wanted to let you know…." My voice trailed off uncertain of what to say. Hey, guess what? I just found a half drowned man and am taking him to my house to nurse him back to health? I shook my head while thinking, this is the stupidest thing that I could do but the truth was the best thing. I sighed again and continued. "I was walking the beach this afternoon and I found a man, he had been sailing. The storm caught him off guard and he capsized his boat."

"Oh my god! Is he ok? Why was he out there? What's his name? How dumb can one be!" She gasped firing off questions in one breath.

"I think he is fine but he is swearing off the ambulance so I am taking him to my house to warm up. I just wanted someone to know and I think if I told my parents, they would kill me." As they should, I thought to myself.

"Well" she started, not quite knowing what to say. "Do you want me to call the police? I can come down and watch him with you. I'm sure that Jasper can watch Aiden for a few days. I just happen to have the next few days off and I can be there in a few hours." Alice lived in Lowell, right on the New Hampshire/Massachusetts border just about 3 hours away. Aiden was her adorable two year old son, Jasper, her love of her life and the baby daddy.

"No Alice, I will be fine". My voice lowered at this and my eyes flickered to his face. He was watching the sea, peaceful serenity starting to flit across his face but his body still shaking faintly, giving in to the ordeal that he had been through.

"Well, this is probably the craziest thing that you have ever done. I definitely think this is probably not the smartest thing to do but if you say so. Just check in with me in a few hours, ok."

"Yes, I will. Thanks Alice. Give Aiden and Jasper a big hug for me and I'll talk soon. Bye."

I silently clicked the phone shut, took a deep breath and asked my mysterious stranger, "Can you get up ok? My house is a short walk from here."

"Yes, I will be." He turned to look at me. "Thank you". He then did something that sent an unexpected shockwave through to my core. As his thank you left his lips, he leaned in and softly placed his lips to mine. He moved again so quickly that I could feel his breath from his last word on my lips. I felt my heart beat faster and my pulse quicken. I hoped that he couldn't hear my response to the kiss. Just as quickly, he pulled back and stared deep into my eyes. "You have saved me some humiliation and I am indebted to you." I leaned back automatically, and saw a small smile creep across his face, his hand raked through his dark hair and he continued, "Shall we go?"

I slowly got to my feet, shook the sand from my lap and my jacket, watching the small grains of pebbles fall back to the beach. I could feel the color creep to my face again and I willed my blood to stop moving so fast in my veins. He stood slowly, a grimace again returning to his face. He faltered just a bit and rested some of his weight unexpectedly on my shoulder. I reached out to steady him, made sure that he was up and pointed across the beach. "My house is over there, just beyond that jetty of rocks. Can you make it?" I asked concerned for the unsteady sand, every rock, piece of driftwood, sea weed and sea creature that stood in the path. I silently cursed the scene before me momentarily forgetting the previous state of awe of nature that I had been in. He nodded and stepped in the direction that I pointed. The rain started to fall again, the wind whipping a little harder.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Back at the house and finally safe from the elements, I had managed to find him and old Boston College sweatshirt that I had borrowed from an old boyfriend and luckily never given back as well as a pair of sweat pants from another. I handed them to him and apologized that they weren't the same size. One boyfriend had been significantly taller and bulkier than the other. He had taken them without complaint and moved in the direction of the bathroom to change. I walked into the kitchen to put on the kettle. Pulling two mugs from the cupboard, I thought briefly of the short-lived flings from which the borrowed clothes came. One had been quiet, intelligent but selfish and the other was loud and rather obnoxious. Of course I had realized these attributes much later in the relationship and my father had reminded me of them once the relationships had run its course. I decided, at that moment, I wasn't introducing my dad to anyone until I was engaged.

My mystery man walked silently from the bath to the kitchen, past the stairs and white banister, his bare feet making hardly a sound on the wood floors. "I really appreciate you letting me warm up here. I know that it must feel wrong to have a complete stranger here. I assure you, I won't do you any harm." He looked in my direction as I turned around from the stovetop and couldn't help but laugh, the borrowed sweatshirt fit fairly well but his sweatpants were very short on his long legs, practically waders. The particular boyfriend that those pants had belonged to was my height and not comfortable with that. I spent most of that time period in flats and crooked neck due to constantly slouching. I laughed a little bit more as he sized up my trembling shoulders as I tried to stifle my laugh with my hand. He looked down to assess the situation and grinned, a wide tooth bearing grin. It was magic, his grin. It lightened up his whole face and made the lines around his topaz eyes more prominent, the twinkle there sparkled like diamonds and faint dimples showed through the day old stubble. Gazing at him, I decided he was definitely good looking. Lean with a muscular build, the too small sweatpants highlighted his build a bit too much I noted and again blushed at my improper thought. He had the build of a laborer, someone who liked to work with his hands; someone who could never be happy behind a desk but he moved so gracefully. His hair, which had appeared black, had started to dry, lightening to a dark brown with bronze highlights. It had started to dry and curling a little more against his cheek and neck and I could see his pulse there. I swore it quickened. With a breath caught in my throat, I spun to take the kettle off the burner as the whistle cut through the air and the tension that I felt for this stranger.

The mystery man sat at my kitchen table which now looked old and faded, his complexion coming back. His long legs stretched under the table, his fingers curled around a steaming cup of tea and a blanket, I had grabbed from the couch thrown around his shoulders. I had learned on the precarious walk back to the house that his name was Edward Cullen. He lived in Provincetown and was an artist. He lived on Commercial Street, painted by night and carpenter for hire by day. He was not from the area and had only lived here a few months. No wonder, he didn't know about the extreme weather changes here in New England, I thought. He was happily employed as an independent laborer, not working for anyone in particular. He had owned his own business in the past and built up enough of a nest egg to be able to travel with little care. He had built "Escape" himself over the course of several years and sailed it down the coast to land at P-Town. This explained his reluctance to leave it.

"So what made you decide to go for a boat ride? You do realize that it was not the best thing to do if you had been watching the weather at all, these lulls in the storm were only temporary." I asked curiously, mostly just wanting to hear his voice again.

"I know. Tell me something that I don't know" a sly grin forming at the corner of his mouth. " At the time, the rain and wind had let up and I decided that it was a good time to take Escape out I hadn't planned to be out very long but the wind had whipped hard at one point and I hit my head when I lost my balance on the deck. It was a very foolish thing for me to do. She is well built and I trusted her. I should not have trusted Mother Nature." He stated taking a tentative sip of his steaming tea. So he was injured. I stood to approach his head, walked toward his chair and leaned in to get a closer look. He turned his chair slightly in response to my movement and automatically adjusted his body so that I got a better angle.

"Do you want some ice for your bump?" I saw it now, his drying hair had lifted a bit and a small knot had formed on his temple. I reached out to touch it and he winced at my tender touch. I grimaced, afraid that I had put too much pressure on the welt. Edward grasped my hand and pulled me in closer to his body and adjusted his knees to trap me between them. His knees gently applied pressures on mine. His warm eyes searched my face and stopped over my eyes, my nose, my mouth, taking me in. I stiffened slightly at the idea that he was sizing me up and I started to pull away feeling small, boring and inconsequential.

"You're beautiful." Edward simply stated letting me pull away.

"What?" I asked stepping back out of the awkward embrace.

Edward said it again matter of factly, "You're beautiful. You are fantastic to look at. I'm glad that I was rescued by the likes of you. You hair is smooth as dark chocolate, your cheeks pink, especially when you blush, as you are now. Your eyes are mesmerizing. Your mouth makes me want to kiss you again." He calmly sipped his tea, looking toward the window as he sipped, cocking his head to listen to the rain and the howling wind.

"Thank you Edward but you don't need to flatter me just because I rescued you." Staring at my tea that I had placed back on the table, I picked it up and let the warm ceramic wrap around my hand. It felt better to have something in my hands. I promptly put it down and decided that I needed to attend to his wound and to stop letting his words dazzle me.

"Let me get you something for the bump." I said while turning toward the freezer.

"I think its fine. I have had my share of bumps and bruises. Being a laborer for hire has had me seeing my fair share. Nothing that I can't handle" He said while touching his head gently with his fingertips and grimacing slightly.

"Well, I obviously can't make you but at least take some aspirin. It may help with the throbbing ". I leaned toward the cabinet that held aspirin and vitamins, opened it forcefully and grabbed the Aleve. "I wish you would let me get you some ice." I said turning and walked back toward Edward still sitting at the table. "Do you want some water to take it with or are you ok with the tea?"

"Tea is fine. No need to dirty another glass." He said, our hands touching during the transfer of medicine. A spark seemed to jump between his fingers and mine and I silently swore as I felt the blush, he had spoken of, start to stain my cheeks.

"Thanks Bella. You're an angel sent down to watch over me today" I watched warily as he tilted his head back, popped the pills in and sipped his hot tea."

I cleared my throat, and took a moment to speak. "For someone as dumb as you; you seem to need someone to watch over you. Who else in their right mind would take a sailboat out in the middle of a storm" I teased and sipped the tea that I had absently picked back up off the counter. I leaned back on the counter and looked again at him as he calmly sipped his tea and grinned over the rim back at me. For someone who had almost died today, he was quite collected. I absently drummed my fingers on the counter beside me, the other still tight around the tea, the warmth of the cup warming my hand and unknowingly, Edward starting to warm the edges of my heart.

He broke the silence first. "This is a really nice place that you have. The colors are really great, like the ocean on a sunny day. Did you do it yourself?"

"I did. I bought the house a few years ago. It took a while to get the colors right." I laughed. "You should have seen the house before I got to it. It was hideous. Bright obnoxious colors that made you wince to look at them. I thought my mother was going to drive me crazy with all the paint chips and the squares of paint all over the walls in every room". I sighed, shaking my head. I had been so exasperated, remembering the whirlwind that came with Renee. She had come up from Florida and stayed a week to assist in the renovation. "I changed the worst colors first and slowly went from there." I could feel the pride swell in my voice; my hands swept about and demonstrated the changes that I had made. We talked about my house for a little bit longer till I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Well, it's pretty and cozy." Edward laughed while listening to my recollections, "and suits you very well. As a for-hire house painter, I appreciate the changes that you have made."

Our cups drained and our voices mixed together with laughter. It was so easy to talk to him, like talking to a really cute friend.

"Are you hungry? It's almost lunch time. I have some leftover soup that I made last night." I turned toward the fridge and I immediately missed having him in my line of vision.

I heard him stand from his seat to follow me in the direction that I had come from. The pale yellow blanket slipped from his shoulders as he stood to collect on the abandoned chair. It only took him a few steps to reach me and he lightly spun me around with this hands. I turned to face him. Everything seemed to get better instantly. He had a dazed sort of dreamy look on his face. I panicked a little over what he might be thinking but he broke my train of thought with almost a whisper.

" You are beautiful" He whispered and brushed his warm hand across my pale cheek. "Didn't you hear what I said, Bella?"

Yes, I heard what you said, thought I don't believe you, I thought to myself. Instead, I nodded my eyes wide with panic that he would change his mind once he got a closer look.

"You are beautiful. I'm sure others have told you that". I noticed he had almost growled when he mentioned other men. "Perhaps the men that these borrowed clothes came from." He hinted and gestured to his mixed up attire.

I shook my head up and down a little and spoke, "I don't think that I am beautiful. I think that I am fine to look at. Thank you for your kind words. The men that belong to these clothes thought I was good enough for awhile. I don't mean to be unfair to you but you did just hit your head a bit ago." I smiled weakly to soften my words trying to back up a little bit more but realizing that the fridge was now in my way. "My mother seems to think that I am pretty and my dad calls me his princess. Does that count?" I joked.

He stared deep into my eyes, a hard thing for him to do as he stood several inches or more taller than me. I had to tilt my head to look at him, especially since we were so close.

"Bella," he sighed. "Why do women always see themselves so differently?" It was a rhetorical question of course so I just shrugged my shoulders in response. He gripped a little bit harder to pull me in closer to his chest and wrapped his arms around my now stiff form. Edward rested his head on mine and hugged lightly. His body was strong and warm. I could smell the salty ocean mixed with his muskiness again. I breathed deeply letting his scent linger in my lungs and let myself relax in the strength of his arms. I finally rested my head on his chest amazed that I could hear his heart beat faster than what I considered normal and cautiously put my arms around his firm waist.

"You are beautiful" Was all he said into my hair. "Thank You" was all I could muster.

We stood connected like this for a moment, heartbeat to heartbeat until my stomach grumbled in protest. I loosened my arms and repeated the question that I had asked earlier. "Are you hungry?"

He sighed, replied yes and pulled away unwillingly. He ran a hand tenderly over my hair, down my cheek, over my shoulder, arm and back up to caress my face. He stooped down and in automatic response; I tilted my face up and placed my hands on his chest. This kiss was as gentle as before but this time with the faintest hint of desire. I too felt it. This was ridiculous! I thought. I only met this man this morning and I felt ready to jump into bed with him! I pulled away shocked at my reaction and turned quickly, sidestepped him to approach the fridge and opened it. I needed any movement to get me away from Edward and his wonderful arms. I needed to get back to being sensible me.

Edward chuckled light and low peering into the fridge with me, his hand moving to my lower back. "Soup sound delicious. Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"No" I said, clearing my throat and looking for the pot somewhere on the top shelf. "I made it yesterday so all the work is done. We just need to reheat it. I'll just use the stove top so that it reheats evenly." With my hands on the soup pot, I wriggled my way out from under his hand and made my way to the stove. Quickly, I turned the burner on and set the pot on top. Edward had made his way back to the kitchen table and asked me to tell him a little bit more about me. We spent lunch talking about my family and my job. He ate and looked at me smiling and encouraging. It was nice to have someone who knew nothing about me but was just as interested. I noted that he chewed carefully pausing to listen when I spoke. I could hardly eat. It may have been that I was doing the talking or that my stomach had just ceased to be hungry.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 

"Bella, sit. I will clear the dishes and get the kitchen cleaned up. I'm sure that I can find the right home for everything".

"Use the dishwasher. It's on the left of the sink, just load them in and we can start a cycle. There are some dishes in there from yesterday". I watched as he picked up the soup bowls, glasses and cutlery, placed them efficiently in the dishwasher and placed a squirt of detergent in the door. He then grabbed a paper towel, sprayed some bleach cleaner he had found in the cabinet with the detergent, on the counter and stove top and wiped. I was surprised that he bothered with that. Most guys, at least the ones that I knew seemed only to know how to dump dishes in the dishwasher if they even made it that far. Edward whistled a little tune, nothing that I recognized while he worked. I watched him move. He was graceful, and rather elegant, his lean muscles bunching while wiping the counters down.

"Do you mind if I take a little nap on the couch. I am rather beat, your soup was delicious but now I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open." He asked as he tossed the dirty papertowels in the trash hidden under the sink, stifling a yawn.

Looking at him and thinking about the bump of his head, I responded warily, "Do you think you should sleep? What if you have a concussion?"

"I have had plenty of those in my life and I don't have one now. I'm sure that I didn't smack my head that hard."

"You have a bump on your head."

"I'm fine. I'm not worried that I will fall into a deep sleep and never wake up."

"I'm not so sure that that is a good idea. You can lay on the couch and watch TV. That sounds more fun than sleeping." I said brightly.

"Fine" Edward grumbled as he made his way into the cozy sea foam colored living room to lay across the cream couch. He made room for me on the couch, but I backed away, suddenly not wanting to be so close. I gestured to the remote that lay on the coffee table.

"I'm going to make a few phone calls as well as check on your clothing status in the dryer."

Edward looked at up me, "Don't be gone long. I'm liable to fall asleep here without you." He watched my retreating form and laughed to himself as the sound of the TV roared to life.

Crap, he was right but I couldn't be so close to him and I did need to check in with Alice. I muttered back something along the line of "You'll be fine" and made my way back into the clean kitchen to grab my phone out of the coat pocket.

I took a deep breath, and put my hand on my chest to check my heartbeat. Yup, it's still there and beating like a madman. I sighed and wished my heart would stop pounding in my chest as the phone rang and rang, "Damn", I muttered, Alive must have put Aiden down for a nap. It was two thirty according to the phone and the clock on the wall. Her voicemail connected, and I left her a brief but short message. "Hey Alice, it's me. Don't worry, everything is fine here. He is a perfect gentleman but I have pepper spray handy. I don't think that I'll have to use it though. I'll call you a little bit later." Next, I called my parents. They were liable to worry and send rescue down. That was all I needed, them busting in with a complete stranger sitting in my living room in ill-fitting clothes. As handsome and gentlemanly as he was, he would be a shock to their system.

After my calls were completed, I made my way to the basement to check on his clothes. They were dry. I gathered them up and made my way back up the rickety wood stairs to fold and place on the kitchen table. I heard a light snoring coming from the living room. Edward was sprawled across the couch, the blanket on the floor, one long lean leg flung over the back of the couch and the other on the floor at an awkward angle. He wasn't snoring but breathing heavy and I watched his chest rise and fall. He appeared to be dreaming, his eyes moving in a rapid REM stage. I leaned against the door frame and just watched this beautiful man sleep. I knew that I should have woken him for fear of a concussion but I couldn't do it. He was so peaceful and perfect looking. Like a child sleeping after a long day of hard play. His leg really didn't look comfortable the way it was. I moved forward to lift his leg and place it back on the couch. I would leave the other sprawled across the back. Geez, his leg was heavy I thought. I tried again only managing to lift it an inch off the ground. At that same moment, he sighed, I stiffened afraid I had woken him. He pulled his own leg up onto the couch, turned his head toward me and whispered my name.

"Bella"

"What?" I whispered back, blushing instantly, not sure if he was actually awake or had even said my name. His eyes were still closed so I whispered again. "Edward, what is it?"

He lay motionless for a moment, turned his head away, lifting one arm above his head to tuck behind a couch pillow, the other arm across his stomach. The movement caused his sweatshirt to rise a little and I caught a glimpse of a tan, flat stomach. Not necessarily washboard but trim. I couldn't help but be pleased at what I saw and day dreamed quickly about what that skin must feel like.

"Bella". He whispered. I sighed, yup he had said my name and I blushed again. I took a quick peek at his face and I could have sworn he was smiling but his eyes were still closed. Suddenly, he flung his arm over my head and across my back to pull me onto the couch. I struggled to look at his face while I found myself planted on my side spooning him. I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was still sleeping, still with the peaceful look on his face, his breathing even. I struggled to get up but his arm was heavy over me. I had to admit it was actually a very nice feeling. After a few half-hearted attempts to get up, I gave up. Choosing instead to settle into his form and let sleep take me over.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

When I awoke a bit later, my back was no longer facing him but I was looking at him or rather, he was looking at me. I blinked my eyes a few times and allowed my eyes to adjust to the dimming light; the light from the kitchen shining in over my head to wash his face in shadows. The wind was still roaring outside and I could hear the rain on the roof. Edward was looking right at me, his eyes warm and gentle. He gently stroked my back, like I had done on the beach and whispered, "Hey there beautiful. You have a nice nap? You are the most content sleeper I have ever seen."

"What, how long have you been watching me sleep?" I should have been uneasy about this but I wasn't. The fact that he wanted to watch me sleep was nice and made me feel safe.

"About 20 minutes. I woke to find you snuggled on the couch." He grinned mischievously. "I thought you were supposed to be keeping me awake but then I awaken to find you here with me."

That's when I knew.

"You purposely put me on the couch!" I accused but still I didn't attempt to get up.

"You've got me. You looked tired and I needed you to supervise me. I told you that I didn't have a concussion though."

"Well, I'm glad that you didn't die in your sleep. This death grip that you have on me would make it impossible for me to get up to get help." I laughed and settled myself in and a little closer to his face. This close up, his eye lashes were so long, the kind that I had always wanted, the kind that mascara took to. His breath was sweet on my face, I didn't even think about it as I leaned in and kissed him. Edward didn't miss a beat. He pulled me closer, forcing me to straighten my legs out so that our bodies were touching in more than one place. He wrapped one arm tightly over my back and the other grasped my face. It started off sweet and gentle, one that I had experienced earlier but this time desire made its way out. He kissed passionately, his lips rough on mine, his tongue experimenting with mine. His hands roamed cautiously over my body, only pausing in each place long enough to feel the softness and moving on to find the next. I could feel myself melting, absolutely melting under his touch. Edward groaned as he pulled away. Desire had moved into his eyes, I was dazed looking at him and the ache in my stomach was amazing. I had never felt that before. This man was doing this to me.

He pulled away and attempted to sit us up.

"Bella, you are driving me crazy. I think that we need to stop or we will find ourselves in a predicament that we may not want to be in. Yet"

I gazed at him wide eyed and catching my own breath, "Yes, you are right". I was embarrassed, not because I had kissed him with so much passion but at the fact that he ended it. I knew it. I was not what he wanted. I was never what they wanted. I sat up quickly, straightened my bunched up tank and tried to put distance between us and allow space and time for me to swallow the rejection, the same rejection that I had experienced before. The memories of my relationship with Jacob Black, a childhood friend, surfacing in my thoughts. He had been my confidant and best friend before Alice and Angela had ever come into my life. He had been the one that I could rely on and he had been the one that I had un-knowingly had crush on for the longest time, I had just chalked it up as we were kindred spirits. Unfortunately, my inability to discuss my feelings when Jacob had professed his feelings for me and I had rejected him and my ability to discuss my feelings for him at the wrong time, like when he had tried to get me to help him pick out an engagement ring for his now wife, Leah, had crushed me.

Edward pulled me from my daydream with a gentle touch on my shoulders. "We will have our time together. I promise. Fate brought us together today and I intend; I want to see it through." He pleaded insistently while looking me deep in my clearing eyes. "You will not be able to get rid of me so easily. Trust me on that one. " He leaned forward to place a gentler kiss on my lips.


End file.
